TITLE: "HIGH STAKES"

AUTHOR: Alison M. DOBELL

FANDOM: "FIREFLY"

PAIRING: No specific pairing.

RATING: PG-13.

STATUS: New. SEQUEL to "NOT MADE OF STONE".

ARCHIVE: Yes. Just let me know where.

FEEDBACK: Welcomed.

EMAIL: AlisonMDobell@aol.com

WEBSITE: http://carlajane.50megs.com/Ali00.html

SUMMARY: "With the Captain in Alliance hands and Inara

and the others trying to make sense of the 'map' Sheriff

Bowman slowly realises just what is going on."

The usual disclaimers apply. The characters and 'Firefly'

are the property and gift of Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy.

No infringement of copyright is intended.

"HIGH STAKES"

A "Firefly" story

Written by Alison M. DOBELL

* * * * *

Everybody was seething. Zoe kept her face blank but the anger and tension was coming off her in waves. Wash felt the sudden desire to beat something or someone to a messy pulp if only because of the way the Commandant was using the Captain to divide his crew and how that was in turn hurting Zoe. Yen Mah watched and listened with a glum expression on her pale moon face. Zoe said nothing until the communication link cut off and the feed went blank, giving them a welcome rest from that *wangba dan's* smug face. Kaylee was visibly upset, tears in her eyes. Simon had been standing to one side so that he would not be seen, now he stepped up beside Kaylee his face pale and anxious. "He's going to kill the Captain?" He said in a stunned voice. "What will that achieve?"

Zoe shook her head, her eyes still fastened on the now blank screen as if it held all the answers. "He won't kill him."

The doctor was about to sigh with relief when he noticed her expression had actually got grimmer. It was Shepherd Book who asked the question they were all thinking but unwilling to put into words. "What will he do with him?"

"Use him to get what he wants."

"Told ya Cap ain't gonna say anythin'." Reiterated Jayne.

They were on the bridge as if bein